Universal bar hanger



Feb. 4, 1969 c. v. COGDILL 3,425,655

UNIVERSAL BAR HANGER 1 File d April 14, 1967 4 5 .1

[L HHM' I kl IL 1L V IL I ma /4 701? 6461705 M C06Df United States Patent 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bar hanger for supporting electric boxes or electrical fixtures within a ceiling, including a pair of interfitting slide members, each having at one end a pad receivable within a clip secured between ceiling rafters or beams.

This invention relates to hanger bars for supporting building components, such as pipes, ducts, electrical wiring and the like.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a universal hanger bar which is different from conventional hangers due to having self-contained means for being adaptable for use in either finished ceilings or in new constructions. It is well known that conventional hangers may only be used in new work, and if an electrician is called to install some new fixtures in an existing home where there is no opening in the ceiling he will have to make an opening considerably large so as to gain access thereinto for purpose of installing a conventional bar hanger. In addition to the space required for installation of the equipment, additional space so to allow for hammering operation or the like, this is of course objectionable and in some cases the electrician will work from an attic instead of destroying a large part of a ceiling for the installation. However, this is not always possible particularly where there is no attic.

Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a universal bar hanger which may be readily fitted into a relatively small opening within a ceiling for installation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a universal bar hanger which includes a pair of mounting clips which are readily securable to the sides of ceiling rafters or beams and into which the tabs at the ends of the hangers may be received.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a universal bar hanger which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efiicient in operation.

The invention comprehends the provision of an extensible hanger particularly, but not exclusively, adapted for mounting in normally inaccessible locations, the hanger having dependent tabs at opposite ends and mounting clips securable on opposed building beams in such cations and the tabs and mounting cli-ps having releasably interlocking means to hold the hanger in location.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specifications and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a pair of hanger members that together form a universal bar hanger,

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of one end of one of the bar hangers and an associate mounting clip,

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation view of the mounting clip,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the locking means of the bar hanger members,

FIGURE 4-A is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 4a of FIGURE 4,

ice

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of the structure illiclistrated in FIGURE 2 and shown secured together, an

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral 10 represents a universal bar hanger according to the present invention wherein there are a pair of bar hanger members 11 and 12.

Each of the bar hanger members comprises an elongated channel configurated element having a pair of spaced apart side walls 13, a top wall 14 formed with a plurality of openings 15 therein and having a pair of inward extending flanges 16 on its lower side. At each longitudinal end of the universal bar hanger assembly there is a tab 17 formed on one end of each of the bar hanger members.

Each tab 17 is provided with a pair of openings 18 and an inward extending clip 19 struck out from the center thereof.

A pair of mounting clips 20 associated with the bar hanger members comprises a generally U-shaped spring steel member having a mouth 21 formed between a pair of jaws 22 and 23, the jaw 23 having a spur 24 struck out from the center thereof, and also being provided with an inwardly turned ear 25 at each side thereof for the purpose of fitting around the edges 26 of the tab 17 when the same is inserted into the mouth 21 of the mounting clip. As is best shown in FIGURE 5 of the drawing, the jaw 22 is provided with an angularly sloping portion 27 against the inner side of which the clip 19 will bear when the bar hanger member is fitted into the mounting clip.

For purpose of securing locking the two bar hanger members in a fixed position, a nut 28 having a threaded opening, is placed within the channel of the inner most bar hanger member and made to rest against the flanges 16. The nut 28 is preferably of square configuration so that it may slide the channel but will not rotate when a wing screw 29 is threaded .thereinto. The wing screw 29 includes a broad shoulder 30 which rests against the outer side of the outer bar hanger member flange 16, as shown in FIGURE 4-A which will cause the wing screw to bind the bar hanger members together when the same is threaded firmly into the nut 28.

In operative use, a mounting clip 20 is secured to facing sides of adjoining ceiling rafters or the like by simply pressing the spur 24 into the side thereof. The bar hanger members are then fitted together and measured to fit between the mounting clips. Thereafter the wing screw 29 is locked hard against the nut 28 immediately before or directly after inserting the tabs into the mounting clips 20. Thus has been provided an improved universal bar hanger for the purpose of allowing installation .into the finished ceilings of established houses.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it will be understood that such changes will be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as is defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an extensible hanger bar having cooperating elongated members, and means for locking said elongated members together to fix the overall length of the bar hanger, said members having end tabs and being adapted to be positioned between spaced wooden elements of a building, mounting clip means for mounting on each of said spaced wooden elements, each clip means having means receiving the adjacent end tab, and cooperatively interlocked locking means on each tab and clip means for releasably interlocking the same.

2. The invention according to claim 1 and each tab having a locking clip struck inwardly therefrom and forming one of the locking means, said mounting clips being U-shaped and having inner and outer jaws forming a mouth receiving the respective tab therein and the inner jaw having a sloping portion forming the other of said locking means and overlapping the locking clip of the related tab, and an outwardly extending spur struck from the outer jaw of each mounting clip adapted to penetrate the adjacent building member for securing the mounting clip thereto.

3. The invention according to claim 2 and each mounting clip having an ear struck from each side edge of one of the jaws thereof and turned inwardly about an adjacent edge of the associated tab.

4. The invention according to claim 1 and said releasable locking means comprising oppositely directed deflectable locking elements on the tab and the mounting clip means, said locking elements on the mounting clip means disposed to snap behind the locking elements on the respective tabs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JOHN PETO, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

